The Illustrated Happiness Trap
Written by Russ Harris and illustrated by Bev Aisbett (Shambhala Publications paperback, March), 166 pages, $14.95
This title is ringing a bell.
It should. The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living was published in 2008 by Shambhala’s Trumpeter Books. In 2013, an Aus-tralian publisher produced a cartoon condensation of that book as The Happiness Trap Pocketbook. This is an American edition of that book.
So it translates the text of Harris’ 2008 self-help book into cartoons.
Like a comic book?
It’s a graphic self-help book. Instead of blocks of text, pages convey brief assertions illustrated by cute black-and-white line drawings. Some of the information is conveyed through speech bubbles from the mouths of puzzled, angry, bored, cute, blank or miserable looking people with hairstyles that suggest their emotional status.
The approach turns deep, thoughtful material about using mindfulness as a tool for rising above emotional turmoil into easy-to-read deep, thoughtful material.
What’s the counseling method being touted here?
It’s called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which sounds very scientific but reads like garden-variety Buddhism. The idea is that instead of fretting that they don’t feel happy, unhappy people will feel better if they simply stop worrying that they’re supposed to feel happy all the time.
Truth is never that pat. By enjoying this book you’re just asking for ugly letters from readers who know something about psychology and the complexities of counseling.
Possibly. But the cartoons are still easy to understand and the advice is still fun to read.
For example, in a bit about paying attention to the here and now, we see a bored looking little man with a fork halfway to his mouth. Another fellow who must be smart because he has a beard says, “To fully appreciate your life you need to give it your attention! You could be eating the most beautiful meal of your life but if you’re lost in your thoughts you’ll hardly even taste it.”
Above the head of the bored little man are thought bubbles labeled Past, Present and Future. Under Past he’s thinking, “Work was hell today.” Under Present, “I hope I don’t look greedy.” Under Future, “Will I get that report in on time?”
Meanwhile he’s paying no attention to his beautiful meal or its beautiful glass of wine.
How is someone with genuine worries supposed to stop fretting and enjoy the moment?
The suggestion here is to observe what you’re thinking, recognize you’re telling yourself a story about the future or the past, which you can’t do anything to change, acknowledge the story and then relax and notice what’s happening right now.
No way is that approach going to solve everybody’s emotional problems.
Maybe not. But the book was still fun to read.
ActiveStyle, Pages 23 on 03/10/2014